Saturn's Moon Enceladus Has Underground Ocean
- 10 years ago
According to new observations, Saturn's small moon Enceladus contains an underground ocean.
Recent studies and discoveries pertaining to the universe are proving how little we knew about space. According to new research, Saturn's small moon Enceladus contains an underground ocean.
The discovery also shows that Enceladus may very well be able to support microbial life. The researchers concluded that water is under the tiny moon by examining data taken from NASA's Cassini spacecraft.
The newest finding helps to solve the mystery of why water was previously captured leaking from what was called ‘tiger stripe’ openings in the surface of the moon.
The ocean underneath Enceladus is estimated to be between 18 and 25 miles beneath the surface. As a comparison, the total area it encompasses is somewhere along the lines of Lake Superior, but it may very well be even larger.
The co-author of the Enceladus study, Dave Stevenson commented “It's even possible that it's global. All that we can say for certain is this layer of water is thickest at the south pole.”
What makes the saltwater ocean a breeding ground for life forms is the possible existence of phosphorus, sulfur and potassium in the water. Given that those minerals are found on the rocky inner core of the moon and in contact with the ocean above it, the researchers suspect they leach into the water and could provide a habitat suitable for life.
Recent studies and discoveries pertaining to the universe are proving how little we knew about space. According to new research, Saturn's small moon Enceladus contains an underground ocean.
The discovery also shows that Enceladus may very well be able to support microbial life. The researchers concluded that water is under the tiny moon by examining data taken from NASA's Cassini spacecraft.
The newest finding helps to solve the mystery of why water was previously captured leaking from what was called ‘tiger stripe’ openings in the surface of the moon.
The ocean underneath Enceladus is estimated to be between 18 and 25 miles beneath the surface. As a comparison, the total area it encompasses is somewhere along the lines of Lake Superior, but it may very well be even larger.
The co-author of the Enceladus study, Dave Stevenson commented “It's even possible that it's global. All that we can say for certain is this layer of water is thickest at the south pole.”
What makes the saltwater ocean a breeding ground for life forms is the possible existence of phosphorus, sulfur and potassium in the water. Given that those minerals are found on the rocky inner core of the moon and in contact with the ocean above it, the researchers suspect they leach into the water and could provide a habitat suitable for life.